Food box with a windowed cover and method for making the same

ABSTRACT

A food box includes a base having a bottom with two parallel first side walls and two parallel second side walls. Four folding corner portions are connected between the first and second side walls so that the first and second side walls are able to be folded upright to enclose a space for receiving food therein. A cover is mounted to the base and has a window defined therethrough. A transparent film is attached to an inside of the cover and covers the window.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of applicant's former application with the application Ser. No. 10/659,288.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional food box for take out service generally includes a base and a cover which is mounted to the open top of the base in which food is received. The manufacturers usually focus on the sealing feature of the food box and so as to prevent the food especially liquid of the food from leakage. Some of the lunch boxes are packed in the central kitchen so that the customers can only choose the lunch boxes according the menu or the description on the rack or the lunch boxes. Nevertheless, for the customers, they are more interested in the food in the box rather than the worry of leakage because most of the food boxes in the market are well developed to effectively avoid from leakage. Therefore, in order to allow the customers to check how the food in the food boxes or lunch boxes is treated, both of the customers and the merchants take a lot of time to open and close the cover of the box repeatedly. This delays the business and the customers are not satisfied of the time-consuming service.

The present invention intends to provide a food box that has a cover with at least one window covered by a transparent film so as to see the food in the box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a food box that includes a base having a bottom with two parallel first side walls and two parallel second side walls. Four folding corner portions are connected between the first and second side walls so that the first and second side walls are folded upright to enclose a space. A cover is mounted to the base and has a window defined therethrough. A transparent film is attached to an inside of the cover and covers the window.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the food box of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view to show the food box with the cover being opened;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view to show the food box with the cover being closed;

FIG. 4 shows the transparent film is to be attached to the cover;

FIG. 5 shows the steps for making the food box;

FIG. 6 is a top view to show another simplified food box, and

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the food box in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5, the food box 10 of the present invention comprises a first base 12 having a bottom and two parallel first side walls 13 and two parallel second side walls 14 extend from the bottom. Four folding corner portions 15 are connected between the first and second side walls 13, 14 so that the first and second side walls 13, 14 can be folded upright to enclose a space. The first base 12 includes two separation rib 30 so as to define three partitions in the first base. Each of the separation ribs 30 has two connection tabs 31 extending from each of two ends thereof, the connection tabs 31 are attached to the parallel first side walls 13.

A second base 11 has a bottom with two parallel third side walls 130 and two parallel fourth side walls 140 extending from the bottom of the second base 11. Four folding corner portions 15 are connected between the third and fourth side walls 130, 140 so that the third and fourth side walls 130, 140 can be folded upright to enclose a space. Each of the second and fourth side walls 14, 140 has a extension lug 141 extending from one end thereof. One of the third side walls 130 is located parallel to one of the first side walls 13 and the extension lugs 141 on the second and fourth side walls 14, 140 are connected to each other to connect the second base 11 to the first base 12.

A cover 16 is connected to the first side wall 13 that is located remote to the second base 11. The cover has two window 161 defined therethrough and a transparent film 20 is attached to an inside of the cover 16 and cover the windows 161. The cover 16 includes three side walls 17 which are able to be folded to be located on outsides of the second side walls 14 of the first base 11 and the third and fourth side walls 130, 140 of the second base 12 as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 16 can also be made individually for different ways of use.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show that the base can be simplified to be one large space enclosed by side walls and has no separations ribs.

FIG. 5 shows a method for making a food box a previously described, and the method comprises the following steps:

-   -   step 1: cutting a window 16 through a sheet of paper board which         meets regulations of FDA;     -   step 2: attaching a transparent film 20 to an inside of the         paper board and covering the window 16, wherein the transparent         film 20 can be Dupont Biomax 4024, Low Density PE, or         heat-durable films     -   step 3: cutting the sheet of paper board into desired shape, and     -   step 4: pressing and folding the sheet of paper board into         desired three dimensional shape by way of heat pressing.

A further step for making the separation ribs can also be applied in the same time with step 4.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

1. A food box comprising: a first base having a bottom and two parallel first side walls and two parallel second side walls extending from the bottom, four folding corner portions connected between the first and second side walls so that the first and second side walls are folded upright to enclose a space; a cover mounted to the first base and having a window defined therethrough, a transparent film attached to an inside of the cover and covering the window.
 2. The food box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first base includes at least one separation rib so as to define two partitions in the first base, the at least one separation rib having connection tabs extending from each of two ends thereof, the connection tabs attached to the parallel first side walls.
 3. The food box as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second base has a bottom with two parallel third side walls and two parallel fourth side walls extending from the bottom of the second base, four folding corner portions connected between the third and fourth side walls so that the third and fourth side walls are folded upright to enclose a space, each of the second and fourth side walls having a extension lug extending from one end thereof, one of the third side walls located parallel to one of the first side walls and the extension lugs on the second and fourth side walls being connected to each other to connect the second base to the first base.
 4. A method for making a food box, comprising the following steps: step 1: cutting a window through a sheet of paper board; step 2: attaching a transparent film to an inside of the paper board and covering the window; step 3: cutting the sheet of paper board into desired shape, and step 4: pressing and folding the sheet of paper board into desired three dimensional shape. 